


Amidst This Fading Light

by JackEPeace



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: AU, F/F, King Kong AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-22
Updated: 2017-02-22
Packaged: 2018-09-26 04:31:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,316
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9862706
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JackEPeace/pseuds/JackEPeace
Summary: Something about this place is off, untouched, unchanged. Like it hasn't seen people in years. Like millions of them.Daisy figures that's why they're here in the first place. SHIELD didn't just decide to sponsor an expedition to a place everyone has already been to. (A King Kong AU)





	

**Author's Note:**

> So this is for the "free" space on my Femslash February Bingo Card -a King Kong AU! I saw the trailer for the new Kong movie and now I'm really obsessed with the idea of Daisy as the Brie Larson character...basically this whole thing grew out of my fixation with the idea of Daisy being some sort of photographer and...ta da! A King Kong AU! 
> 
> The title comes from the song "The Island" by The Decemberists which is totally my favorite song by them so...

"And here we have the beautiful and elusive Jemma Simmons, seen outside her natural environment for the first time in quite a while. It's a well-known fact that Jemma is more comfortable in her laboratory yet, here she is, out in the sunshine and fresh air. Let's see how this change of habitat affects her."

Jemma makes a face, sticking her tongue out at Daisy. Daisy laughs, lowering her camera and looking at Jemma without the lens in between them. "Funny," Jemma says dryly, shaking her head at Daisy. "I'm not always in the lab, thank you very much."

Daisy lets her camera hang by the strap around her neck, feeling the weight of it settle against her chest. She picks her way across the rocky, dry ground, toward Jemma. They haven't been out here for long but it's been long enough to learn why everything around them is so dry and brittle: the sun is unbelievably hot and unforgiving and there's not a cloud in sight. Yards away it's possible to see a few scraggily clumps of trees, their low-hanging leafy branches hinting at a forest amidst the dry plains. But they've been instructed not to go too far from the helicopters and they're following the directive. For now, at least.

Jemma briefly rests her hand on Daisy's shoulder before looking past her toward the rest of the group. There are three helicopters sitting clustered together, about a dozen people buzzing around them. Most of the people are wearing dark, nondescript black with the logo of the company who sent them out here embroidered on the shoulder. Daisy can see Phil Coulson, the man in charge of what is proving to be an already ill-fated expedition, moving in between the dead machinery, a worried look on his face. Daisy is still counting their blessings that they managed to land on solid ground without exploding into a fiery ball of death. It had been exactly what she'd expected when all the machinery on board -control panels, radios, phones, electronic devices of any kind- had stopped working. Even Daisy's trusty Nikon is sitting in its bag, dead to the world. Daisy is glad that she brought along her film camera, the one Jemma had given her a few years ago to celebrate their first year together; it's one of her favorite possessions, something that she usually keeps in their apartment, one she normally uses to capture pictures of her favorite subject. But she's glad she brought it along. For luck.

And because this place is weird. Daisy has already seen so many things that she wants to snap pictures of: the strange trees, the brightly colored bugs that buzz around in the heat, the ridges of the hills and mountains in the distance, which look more like the bodies of sleeping animals and not rock formations. Something about this place is off, untouched, unchanged. Like it hasn't seen people in years. Like millions of them.

Daisy figures that's why they're here in the first place. SHIELD didn't just decide to sponsor an expedition to a place everyone has already been to. And they wouldn't need one of the nation's top biochemists along with them if they did.

"No one looks happy," Jemma remarks as they watch the work.

Fitz and Mack, the tech guys, are staring at the twisting, wired guts of one of the copters, looking puzzled. Radcliffe, the scientist turned infamous billionaire is sitting near one of the helicopter's open doors, his legs dangling toward the dirt. He looks miserable, even though his poor assistant is busily trying to cool him off by waving one of the safety manuals in front of him. Honestly, the sight of Radcliffe looking so put-out makes Daisy smile. They'd ridden in the same helicopter and that had been long enough for her to decide that she couldn't stand the pompous Scotsman, who'd funded most of the expedition to say that he was one of the men who'd discovered a new, untouched island.

"At least we made it," Daisy points out cheerfully. "We could have crashed in the middle of the ocean. Or somewhere else. At least we made it _here_ , the place we wanted to get to."

Jemma gives her a fleeting smile. "You know I always admire your optimism." She kisses Daisy's cheek quickly. "I envy you. I'm already thinking about what's going to happen to us if they can get anything working again."

"And that's your problem," Daisy says, like the same thoughts haven't already occurred to her. "Live in the moment. Isn't this like, your dream come true? New things to discover!"

Jemma doesn't look enthusiastic at the moment. She glances around to make her point. From where they're standing now, instructed to stay close, there's nothing to see but dry ground, brittle shrubs and fat bugs flying around. Everything tempting seems to be off in the distance.

So Daisy lifts her camera and takes a picture of her, capturing her pouty, despondent look. It makes her smile but Jemma only rolls her eyes. "You're going to waste your film."

"It's not a waste if it's pictures of you," Daisy says sweetly, reaching out to snag Jemma around the waist.

Jemma steps playfully out of reach. "I didn't realize Mr. Coulson had hired you to take pictures of me."

Daisy shrugs. "He hired me to text pictures of whatever we might find here but I doubt he wants pictures of the dirt."

Even Jemma doesn't have an argument for that.

It doesn't take long before efforts turn from trying to bring the equipment back to life to setting up camp. "We'll keep working on it," Coulson assures everyone, trying to sound reassuring and confident. "But there's no telling when it'll start getting dark and we need to have a base set up."

Jemma and Daisy pitch in, helping set up a cluster of tents and a few, larger canvas tarps to serve as a HQ, mess hall and command center all in one. No one has much luggage since most of the space on the helicopters was reserved for the gear and the rations and Daisy throws her bag and Jemma's into their tiny pup tent, along with their sleeping bags. Even with the sun starting to go down, it's still too hot to think about getting into the enclosed space.

Antione Triplett, the ex-military man in charge of the survivalist aspects of the trip, doesn't exactly look pleased. "We need to find a water source," he says as he surveys the jugs and boxes stacked on one of the foldable tables. "Until we do we'll need to be carefully ration what we brought with us. We have plenty of food…unless we can't get the equipment working again."

It sounds ominous, which Daisy figures was the intention.

* * *

 

Night falls suddenly, much different than the gradual onset of darkness that Daisy is used to where they're from. It's like the sun is suddenly yanked from the sky, replaced by a solid darkness; the moon is a sliver in the sky and the explosion of stars defies explanation. Daisy lifts her camera only to put it down again; trying to take a picture of the millions of stars really would be a waste of film.

Daisy sits shoulder to shoulder with Jemma beside the fire that Trip and Bobbi built when the darkness finally settled over their camp. The heat of the day is gone and the only sound at the moment is the rustling of granola bar wrapping being torn off. No one seems to feel much like talking.

Daisy is trying to ignore the fact that they're in the middle of some totally uninhabited, uncharged island right now. In the middle of the day, it was kinda cool and exciting; she couldn't believe that she had been tapped to be the photographer of this exciting, pioneering mission. Of course, she'd figured that she had Jemma to thank for that. She doubted that SHIELD and Coulson thought much of a photographer who took pictures for Internet sites and stories and didn't exactly have many cutting-edge photos in her portfolio. But Coulson had probably been too worried about losing Jemma Simmons -genius in her field and the exact person you'd want studying new, unknown specimens- to risk telling her that her girlfriend couldn't come along.

Now…now it seems a little less exciting and a little more scary. Even though they're still out in the open, even though the larger trees and jungles and hills are far from where they're camped now, Daisy can't help but think about what unknown, mysterious creatures might be hiding out in them. They seem much closer in the darkness. And they have a fire and food…

Almost on cue, something rustles overhead and Daisy can't help but jump, moving closer to Jemma. Fitz looks up worriedly and Mack's hand immediately moves toward the hatchet they'd used earlier to break up some wood for the fire. The rustling sound comes again but nothing happens.

Bobbi, one of Trip's agents, clears her throat. "Maybe we should just…turn in for the night. We can regroup in the morning, keep trying the equipment, make a plan."

Quickly, Radcliffe is on his feet. "Yes, wonderful idea." He doesn't seem embarrassed by how quickly he hurries toward his large tent.

Everyone follows suit aside from the agents Trip stations around the campsite for the first watch. It seems pointless to bother with changing completely so Daisy just sheds her vest and jeans, curling up beside Jemma in just her shirt. Jemma rests her head against Daisy's chest, absently reaching for her hand in the darkness of the tent. Daisy starts to say something, to try to point out how much better things will be in the morning and how they'll get everything figured out but it suddenly seems pointless to break the silence so she just lays there, listening to the sound of Jemma breathing.

She must fall asleep at some point because the next thing Daisy is aware of is an ear-splitting sound loud enough to seemingly shake everything and simultaneously stop her heart from beating. It sounds like an airplane engine firing up but the deep, guttural quality immediately makes Daisy think it's a roar.

The roar of a very large, very angry animal.

Jemma jerks upright, gasping. Daisy sits up, glancing around, even though it doesn't do much good in the darkness of the tent. Her heart is working again, thudding heavily in her chest and the roar has faded away now but it's still echoing loudly in her ears, rattling through her bones. The silence the follows the sound is somehow even worse.

"What was that?" Jemma asks softly. Daisy can only shake her head in response.

Outside they can hear Trip's voice, giving orders and Coulson saying something in return. Someone is unzipping their tent flap but Daisy really doesn't feel inspired to go outside and investigate. Obviously whatever makes a sound like that is big enough to eat all of them and…yeah she'd rather stay in her tent.

There's a brief moment when it seems like Jemma is going to move, to go outside and join in the commotion and Daisy really hopes she doesn't because if Jemma goes outside then Daisy will _have_ to follow her. But she doesn't. And they just sit in the tent, waiting to see if the sound is going to come again.

It doesn't, but no one really sleeps much for the rest of the night.

* * *

 

It doesn't take long for the heat to bring Jemma and Daisy out of their tent. Daisy follows after Jemma, yawning, rubbing the sleep from her eyes with the heel of her hand, reaching for her camera with the other. Daisy thinks that Jemma looks adorable all disheveled and groggy and she can only hope that Jemma feels the same way about her surely messy appearance.

The fire is still going, small flames flickering out from the embers and Bobbi has a radio in her lap, fidgeting with the dials almost absently, like it's just something to do. Fitz and Mack are sitting beside her, chewing on more granola bars. Daisy tries to crack a smile. "What? No bacon and eggs?"

"There are powdered eggs," Mack says helpfully even though the idea makes Daisy wrinkle her nose. "I think bacon is about to become a fantasy for a while."

Jemma gives Daisy a look. "It's really not good for you anyway."

"We're on a mysterious island and you're still going to lecture me about my eating habits?" Daisy grabs a granola bar and tosses another to Jemma. "I admire your dedication."

Eventually Coulson and Trip come to join them and it isn't long before Radcliffe is stumbling out of his tent, Aida following after him. He looks at the group assembled around the fire. "Is no one going to talk about that noise last night?" He seems personally offended that they've just been making small talk over breakfast. "We need to go out there and find whatever that was."

Jemma frowns, arching an eyebrow. "And do what?"

Radcliffe looks at her, opening his mouth and closing it before clearing his throat. "Why, study it. Of course."

Daisy has a feeling that bragging rights wasn't the only reason Radcliffe decided to personally accompany the expedition he was paying for.

"We need to focus on the practical matters first," Trip says decisively. "Water, equipment, getting a radio signal out, taking stock of the artillery we brought."

Daisy can't help but feel like that last one is super important given the night's events.

Jemma and Daisy join up with the scouting excursion to look for a water source. The one positive of the night was that the presence of something else living on the island -especially something large- proves that water and food are plentiful and they just have to find it. Daisy hangs her camera around her neck and she's not surprised to see Jemma bringing a pack with her as well; this is what she came for, after all. Nothing is going to stop her from doing a little bit of science.

Once they make it to the thick jungles at the edge of the dry, bare area where they set up camp, it becomes impossible to believe that they were ever in a place that didn't have thick trees, leafy and low hanging branches or vines twisting down from the canopy above. The leaves and branches shake from time to time, shuddering at the outskirts of their little party, as though there's something unseen in the thicket keeping watch over their progress. And, hello, there probably is.

Trip leads the way and the rest of them follow single file behind him: Agents Davis and Piper with their guns drawn; Fitz with one of the handheld radios just in case it decides to spark to life in a different location; Jemma with her supplies rattling with every step and Daisy, camera half held up, ready to take a picture of something none of them have ever seen before.

Despite the rustling sounds and the sound of their own footsteps, the jungle is eerily quiet. There are no animal calls, no birds twittering, no bugs buzzing around in the oppressive, sticky heat. Daisy can't deny that the hairs on the back of her neck are standing at attention but every time she glances over her shoulder there's nothing behind her.

"This is strange," Jemma says finally, quietly to Daisy. "Where are the animals?"

Daisy doesn't answer because she's pretty sure that the animals are there whether they can see them or not.

As they walk, Trip marks the trees they pass so that they don't get lost in the thick tangle of undergrowth. Even still, Daisy has her doubts. The camp seems like a really, really long way from where they are now.

Finally the jungle starts to grow less dense and the ground flattens out and when the trees open up, they find themselves on the bank of a large river. The water is moving lazily through the rocks and gravel along the bank and seems to grow deeper and darker out toward the tranquil middle. On the other side of the bank -yards away- are more trees and the hills rising in the distance.

"Okay, fan out but stay within sight at all times." Trip seems to be delivering this message specifically to Daisy, Jemma and Fitz as he hands out containers. "And remember not to drink from the water until the tablets have been in there are least thirty minutes."

Jemma gives him a look but doesn't say anything, though Trip's smile seems to mollify her indignation. She and Daisy walk a few paces down the bank in the opposite direction of the others and Jemma discards her water container in favor of rummaging through the things that she brought with her. "I want to take some water and soil samples," she mumbles, mostly to herself. "And some of the flora is interesting…I haven't seen sizes and colors like this before. I need to collect some of those as well…"

Undeterred, Jemma steps out into the water, still talking mostly to herself as she sets to work. Davis glances over at Daisy, looking like he isn't sure what to make of this behavior; Daisy only shrugs, trying to hide her smile. That's her girlfriend.

Daisy fills her canister, drops in the tablets and then leaves it to sit on the bank, lazily picking her way further down the river. She lifts her camera, adjusting the lens in an attempt to zoom in on what might be hiding in the jungle on the other side. There's still nothing to see, nothing but shadows and trees and huge, leafy fronds. She turns toward the hills, closer now than they were back at camp; there's nothing there either but that feeling of being watched is back.

Sighing, Daisy lowers her camera. She picks up a rock, tossing it into the water and the little _plunk_ is met by a splash in response. Which is…strange.

There's a shadow in the water, a place where the crystalline blue is darker…and it's moving. Daisy looks back toward Jemma, who is still ankle-deep in the water collecting specimens; Davis is standing close, splashing water onto the back of his neck.

"Jemma." Daisy feels like her voice is too quiet, coming out of her throat in a scratchy whisper. "Get out of the water."

But Jemma looks in her direction, seeming to hear her anyway. She always does. She takes a step back and another, her face a picture of confusion even as she moves.

The water surges up suddenly, exploding into a spray like a bomb has just gone off. The splash, the scream, it seems to break whatever spell has Daisy paralyzed and standing there like an idiot. She runs over and Jemma is in her arms and she can breathe a little bit easier.

But Davis is gone and there's a long, reptilian tail slipping beneath the surface of the water and the shadow disappears through the cloud of red blooming in the water. Jemma holds onto her so tightly that Daisy is certain that she's going to have crescent-shaped marks pressed into her skin.

"What happened?" Trip is shouting even as he's running in their direction, Piper and Fitz on his heels. "What was that? What happened?" He lowers his gun slightly, looking toward the water. "Where's Davis?"

Daisy can only shake her head but Davis' fate seems pretty obvious despite any sort of verbal answer.

They don't linger by the water after that.

* * *

 

Back at basecamp, they still haven't made much progress with the electronic equipment. Mack and Bobbi have taken up one of the tables, covering it with wires and tools and gutted pieces of equipment like pulling it all apart and then putting it back together is the key to making everything work again.

It doesn't take long for Jemma to occupy one of the other tables, methodically setting out the specimens that she collected during their excursion. Trip and Coulson talk in hushed, frustrated whispers and Fitz joins Bobbi and Mack in their pursuit to get the equipment to work again and Daisy watches Radcliffe hit golf balls out in the direction of the jungle for about five seconds before she goes to join Jemma.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Daisy questions after a few solid seconds of watching Jemma work in silence.

She's asked her this a few times already so it's not surprising that Jemma just rolls her eyes. "Yes, I'm fine." She looks at Daisy. "Just…the size of that…" She shakes her head, holding up one of the vials of river water. "I'm already seeing some very unusual things."

Daisy makes her well-practiced, thoughtful noise. "Yeah? Like what?"

One of her favorite pictures of Jemma was taken with this camera; she'd developed it in black and white and she keeps it in a frame next to her bed, despite Jemma's protests. In the picture, she'd managed to catch Jemma in the midst of working on something in her lab, her eyes bright and a million miles away as a thousand tiny dots connected in a way that made perfect sense in her mind. Daisy is sure that if she were to take Jemma's picture now it would mirror the one she has next to her bed, though Jemma would look a little more sweaty and disheveled now, her cheeks flushed from the sun, freckles starting to grow darker. She's tempted to try and snap the picture but Jemma is already in the midst of her explanation and she doesn't want to interrupt her rambling process by getting yelled at for wasting more of her precious film.

"These organisms are almost prehistoric in nature, as though they never evolved into their more complex cousins, which is odd." Jemma puts aside the vial and holds up a colorful leaf, the webbing beneath stretching out vein-like. "And this looks almost like it came from a Cycadeoidea, though they went extinct millions of years ago so I know that can't be possible but even still…" She trails off, looking back in the direction they just came from.

Daisy recognizes the look on her face now as easily as the one that she wears in her favorite picture. She knows exactly what's on Jemma's mind.

"It's worth further study…" Jemma puts the leaf aside, shrugging. "I'd need to study more of the plant life. And the animal life…"

Daisy frowns. "Just…you won't go out there by yourself, right?" She gives Jemma a look, the no-nonsense expression she learned from the person she's using it on. "Don't get carried away."

Jemma actually looks offended by this idea, like she can't imagine where Daisy could have possibly gotten it from. "Of course I'm not just going to go galivanting through the jungle," she scoffs. "I'm not an idiot."

"Good," Daisy does her best to sound unconcerned and reassured. But she can still see the look in Jemma's eyes. "Because Davis-"

"Daisy," Jemma interrupts, putting her hand on the crook of Daisy's elbow. "I'm not going back out there. By myself. It's okay, I promise." She leans forward, kissing her quickly on the cheek. "Now, look at this."

She's already moved on, reaching for another vial, another rock, another piece of vegetation. Daisy just nods along, making appreciative noises at all the right moments. But she's finding it difficult to shake this idea from her mind, the one that Jemma has put into her brain so easily with her mention of extinct plants. The place they're in the middle of definitely feels like it's trapped outside of time, like it stayed in one place as the rest of the world kept moving on.

It sounds like something out of a cheesy science-fiction movie so why does it seem like such a possibility?

"This expedition is over," Coulson says at dinner that night. It's still early, the sun still flooding the camp with light but they're still sitting around the fire anyway, a plate of food in their laps. Daisy is grateful that the Powers That Be have decided they can stop eating granola bars and get into the good stuff, even though she feels bad for having an appetite at all. "Recent events have…" He pauses, considering. "We need to focus on figuring out a way to either send out a signal for a rescue or get the helicopters working again. Nothing else matters anymore."

Surprisingly the first person to object is Radcliffe. "We can't just sit around here twiddling our thumbs and waiting for this junk to start working again." He flips his hand, as though tossing the idea aside. "We're already here. I didn't invest millions to come here and stare at the tree line."

Coulson frowns at the man. "Things change. It's more dangerous-"

"We always knew it would be dangerous," Jemma points out and Daisy can see that look in her eyes. She knows what it means even if no one else does. "We knew there were risks involved. There are risks involved with everything, every new scientific discovery. We've found a place here that seems to have prehistoric species thriving in the jungle. _This_ is why we came here."

Radcliffe looks relieved, pointing a finger at Jemma. "Exactly. Progress, science." He nods. "That's why we came here."

Coulson looks a little miffed at having his words challenged. Daisy almost feels sorry for the man; if he'd expected to just tell them the whole thing was off and then sit down to eat his dinner then he clearly didn't know what he was getting into when telling Jemma Simmons she couldn't science.

"Look, we've already lost someone," Coulson says firmly. "The terrain, the creatures here…they're hostile and -"

"Of course they are!" Jemma protests and Daisy reaches out to take her plate away before she accidently flings it out of her lap. "You told me -all of us- that we were going somewhere that hadn't been discovered by humans before. So what do you expect when we just come walking into their territory for the first time in who knows how long? We knew it would be dangerous but we knew that there was the real possibility of making real, groundbreaking scientific discovers here. We can't just turn our backs on this opportunity."

"We had reports about big, larger than life creatures," Radcliffe chimes in. "We knew…" He stops, suddenly looking uncertain. He glances over at Aida, who almost imperceptivity shakes her head. He clears his throat, settling back in his seat. "Anyway, perhaps we should table this discussion until tomorrow."

Fitz looks at the man, curious. "Why exactly did you want to come along?"

Radcliffe makes a noncommittal noise, pushing at the food on his plate. "Oh, you know, posterity."

Jemma looks toward Coulson. "Why am I getting the feeling that we weren't told the whole story before agreeing to come along?"

Coulson manages not to look put-out by the question. He only shrugs. "You knew you were here to study new life-forms." He points to Daisy. "You're here to take pictures. You-"

"But how much did you know about this place before we came here?" Mack questions, looking from Coulson to Radcliffe. "I thought no one knew anything about it. Or no one had been here before. But he seems to know more than the rest of us."

"Well…" Radcliffe shrugs. "Need to know and all that."

Bobbi scoffs. "I think we all need to know, now."

"Look, it doesn't matter," Radcliffe protests. "And it doesn't change anything. About a year ago a Chinese steamer lost all communications, disappeared from the grid, all that. Their last transmission was about an island that no one even knew existed out here. They all died, of course but the ship was recovered."

There's a pause and Bobbi reaches out, kicking the back of Radcliffe's chair. "And…?"

Radcliffe glares at her before sighing indignantly. "And one of the last things recorded in the captain's log was about this place and the strange lifeforms and a giant apelike monster and-"

"Oh, I get it," Daisy scoffs, shaking her head. "You aren't here for bragging rights. You're here to hunt that thing." She rolls her eyes in disgust. "Why can't guys ever have a pissing contest that doesn't involve guns and killing something?"

Radcliffe sputters, pointing his plastic camping fork at Daisy. "Listen-"

"Enough." Coulson holds up his hands, giving Radcliffe a look. "There will be no guns and no…The focus is on getting us home. End of discussion. No one is to leave this camp unless it's an emergency. Is that clear?"

No one responds but Coulson seems to feel like the issue is settled.

* * *

 

Daisy feels Jemma slowly untangling herself from both Daisy and the sleeping bag, moving quietly in the small space of their tent. She cracks one eye open, watching her. There's just enough of the grey, early morning light to see by. Daisy watches as Jemma pulls her shirt over her head, reaching for her backpack. As she moves toward the tent flap, Daisy moves forward suddenly, grabbing onto her elbow. Jemma doesn't look surprised as she looks back at her. "You promised."

Jemma smiles at her, innocent as can be. "I'm not going by myself," she says. "You're coming with me."

Daisy rolls her eyes. Why does she have the feeling that she just played right into Jemma's hands?

Quietly, they slip out of the tent and away from the camp. Piper and Bobbi are on sentry duty but it's easy enough to move past them; they're more focused on what lies outside of the camp, not who might want to sneak out of it.

"I still don't think this is a good idea," Daisy protests as they enter the jungle. "I mean I'm all for scientific progress and discovery but that thing that ate Davis was huge and I'm really not in the mood for either of us to be killed today."

Jemma doesn't seem deterred by this comment. "I seem to recall, in the earlier days of this relationship, that _you_ were always the one getting us into trouble."

"I never got us into trouble!" Daisy protests but she can't keep a straight face as she says it, especially not after the flabbergasted look Jemma gives her. "Okay but I never got us into the trouble that involved getting eaten." Another look and Daisy blushes. "By giant monsters!"

Jemma grins at her and they move deeper into the jungle. "I just need to get a few more specimens," she says like it's just as easy as that. "The more variety I have to study, the more conclusive any findings will be."

Daisy swats at a giant bug buzzing around her forehead but it flies away before she can actually squash it. "Well at least the bugs are the same," she grumbles to herself. "Still a pain in the ass."

"But larger than usual," Jemma remarks. "Have you noticed how large everything is here?"

The bugs, the plants and their leaves, the trees that tower into thick canopies overhead. The creature that grabbed Davis. Yeah, Daisy has noticed. It makes her grateful that evolution apparently shrunk everything down somewhere along the way.

They come to the river again, staying out of range of the water and following the river downstream. Along the way, Jemma steps several times to collect something that seems to be of particular interest to her and Daisy takes a few pictures, primarily of the towering landscape but also one of a large, violet butterfly that comes flapping past to land on a flower. Just like yesterday, everything seems unnaturally quiet, like the jungle and everything in it are just watching them, waiting.

Eventually the riverbed narrows and the water starts to slow to a trickle before giving way to more of the large, cracked landscape that they're familiar with thanks to the campsite. Only here they aren't in a flat, open land but a basin of sorts, high rock walls surrounding them on three sides. Daisy lifts her camera but she's not really sure what there is to take a picture of…until she realizes that there are several sections of the rock-face that appear to be scored with large claw marks.

"Jemma…" Daisy turns back to look for her girlfriend. "I think we should go. There's nothing here anyway…"

She trails off when she sees what Jemma is looking at. The bones are massive, larger than any animal Daisy could imagine ever seeing at the zoo or in the nature documentaries that Jemma enjoys so much. The skull has several large, wickedly sharp teeth protruding from it and scattered amongst the rib cage are smaller, equally sharp bones that Daisy assumes are claws of some kind. She has to tip her head back to look at the skeleton in its entirety and even though the bones are starting to bleach in the sun there are still strips of meat and skin hanging on the curves and jagged ends.

Jemma reaches up, letting her fingers brush against the curve of one of the rib bones. Daisy snaps the picture, shaking her head. "No one is going to believe that this is real," she says. "They're going to think we're making all of this up."

"Which is why we're here to gather scientific evidence," Jemma replies, walking through what used to the insides of some massive, deadly animal. "You can't argue with science."

Daisy scoffs. "Tell that to President-"

The rest of her comment is drowned out by the same, earsplitting roar that woke them during their first night on the island. Only it's even louder than it was before and it sounds a little more ticked, not that Daisy is interested in sticking around to see if her assessment of this is correct.

The ground shudders and shakes under their feet and when Daisy whirls back in the direction they'd just come from, the way is blocked. By a very large, shaggy, massive black ape. And it definitely looks ticked.

There's a pink scar running across the creature's face and a few more, less fresh looking marks across its back and massive arms. The beast narrows its small, shining black eyes at Daisy and absurdly her first thought is to lift her camera and try to take a picture.

The ape rears back on its hind legs, roaring again and slamming its fists against its wide chest. Daisy turns to run just as the beast charges at her, the ground shuddering and shaking with each thundering step.

With a roar, the ape makes a grab for her and Daisy drops to her knees, covering her head with her hands. Even still she can feel the air as it moves past her; she can smell the hot, sweaty fur, the dirt and mud beneath them. She's probably about to be trampled and she's not entirely sure if that's preferable to being snatched up and eaten by a giant monkey.

A shrill whistle catches the attention of both beauty and beast and Daisy looks up, only to wish that she hadn't. The ape is standing above her, massive hand paused in mid-reach. Only now its attention is occupied by Jemma, still standing by the skull, a large rock clutched tightly in her hands. Daisy can see her white knuckles, her wide eyes, the slow, steady exhale that moves through her tense body.

The ape grunts, baring his teeth before looking away from Jemma and back toward Daisy. Daisy slowly gets to her feet, taking one step backward and then another. She'll never outrun this thing but it makes her feel better to try.

"Hey!" Jemma shouts and again the ape grunts, head snapping in her direction. "Over here!"

"Jemma! Don't!" But it's too late. Jemma throws the rock as hard as she can, hitting the beast in his shaggy forequarters.

At first, the ape looks only confused, glancing down at the spot with a hint of mild annoyance. But his lips curl back from his massive teeth and he charges toward Jemma, snarling and puffing.

Daisy can barely hear her own voice over the sounds of the beast but she's certain that she's shouting Jemma's name, urging her to run, to do _something_ because those are the only thoughts flooding her mind as she goes running after the beast, like she can somehow do something to stop it before it gets to Jemma.

The ape stops inches from her, tilting his head as he stares. Jemma stands as still as the bones around her, her knuckles still white as she curls her hands into fists. Daisy kneels down, quickly trying to search for a stick, a rock, anything that could possibly be used against this massive monster.

Though, he doesn't seem to be acting nearly as aggressive as he was before. His teeth aren't bared, his hands pressed into the dirt, head still tilted, studying Jemma. Jemma only looks back at him, silent and pale.

Slowly, Daisy stands up straight, holding a rock tightly in one hand; she's afraid to throw it, afraid to do anything that might make the creature lose interest and go back to growling and snarling and trying to eat them.

The ape lifts a hand and Jemma flinches, though she manages to stand her ground. He reaches for Jemma slowly, only one of his massive, weathered fingers extended toward her like he's unsure that she's real, unsure of what he's supposed to do next. Even still, Daisy knows that single finger could send Jemma sprawling but the ape doesn't touch her, doesn't come close enough.

Jemma lifts her hand and Daisy opens her mouth to protest, to call out to her, to tell her not to move, to have some sense but the words freeze in her throat and she can't do anything but stare, her mouth open in surprise. Jemma rests her hand against the gnarled finger and she looks absurdly small standing there across from the giant ape.

Daisy lets the rock fall from her hand and she reaches for the camera around her neck. She lifts it, capturing Jemma and the creature in the center of her lens, unable to believe what she's seeing even though she's looking at the sight with her own two eyes.

She snaps the picture and the ape whirls in her direction, snorting at the sudden sound. Daisy freezes, holding her camera up like she's willing to actually test how 'lucky' the device really is. The ape snarls at her, slamming a fist against its chest before it turns and gallops off, making for one of the rocky walls and scaling it with ease. The creature disappears quickly, almost like it was never there at all. The pounding Daisy's chest would suggest otherwise.

Quickly, Daisy lets her camera fall against her chest, hurrying over toward Jemma. She manages to get her arms around her just as Jemma's knees buckle and she falls against her chest, pressing her face against Daisy's collarbone. "Holy shit. Holy shit," Daisy breathes, holding Jemma tightly against her. "Are you okay? Holy shit, oh my god. That was so badass."

Jemma doesn't have anything to say about Daisy's assessment of her attempts at animal training. Daisy pulls away from Jemma, taking her face in her hands. "Are you okay?" She asks again.

Jemma nods, almost like she can't believe it herself. "Yes," she says quietly. "Fine."

"Don't ever do anything like that again!" Daisy snaps, giving Jemma a shake before pulling her in for another crushing hug. This time Jemma holds onto her in return, pressing her fingers into the space between her shoulder blades. "You idiot. Are you crazy!"

Jemma lifts her head, kissing Daisy until they both need to pull away due to the necessity of breathing. She looks more like her usual self now, her eyes shining brightly. "That was…"

"Crazy," Daisy says again, giving Jemma a pointed look. "Dumb."

"Yes," Jemma smiles, somewhat indulgently, giving Daisy another quick kiss. "Absolutely ridiculous. I think it must have been twice…three times the size of any other known gorilla…if that's what it was…" She shakes her head. "I wonder if there's something about this island that allows things to grow unchecked…all the animals must look like this…"

Daisy looks up at the skeleton around them and figures that Jemma is probably onto something. "Well, Radcliffe did say there were reports of an ape-like figure-"

"Radcliffe." Jemma's eyes grow wide at the mention of his name. "We can't tell anyone what we saw."

Quickly, Daisy shakes her head. "Definitely not," she agrees, grimacing at the idea of Radcliffe marching down here with a gun slung across his back. "Of course, I doubt a gun would do much damage on that thing…"

Jemma crinkles her nose. "Anything will die if you shoot it enough times."

Which is probably Radcliffe's primary plan as far as the creatures on the island are concerned.

"I wonder if there are more of them," Jemma remarks as they start their walk back upstream and toward the direction of camp. "I wonder…how big is the island? Where are all these animals hiding? Why are they so large? Why-"

"Why do I get the feeling that we're going to be coming back here?" Daisy gives Jemma a look, remaining unconvinced even though Jemma seems interested in maintaining her innocence.

"Well…" Jemma says, slipping her hand into Daisy's. "It would be nice to try to study it…to learn more about what else might be on the island…"

Daisy scoffs. "Easy for you to say," she mutters. "He seemed to like you."

Jemma lifts an eyebrow. "Oh he told you that, did he?"

"Well it was pretty clear he wanted to crush and eat me," Daisy points out. "I'm not the one who almost started playing patty-cake with him."

Jemma snorts out a laugh, rolling her eyes. "I would hardly say-"

Jemma trails off when they spot a figure a few yards away. Trip. And he doesn't look very happy with them.

"Where the hell have you two been?" Trip asks, exasperated, as soon as they're close enough to yell at. "Everyone is out in this damn jungle looking for you."

Jemma holds up her backpack. "I…we just wanted…"

Trip scowls. "You heard Coulson." He shakes his head, holstering his weapon. "It doesn't matter. I'm glad you're both safe."

Daisy gives Jemma a look. "Yeah, me too." Jemma only gives her that faux-innocent smile in return.

"We heard that sound again," Trip says as he leads the way back through the jungle. "That roar…it sounded close. It's too dangerous to leave the camp."

"We didn't see anything," Jemma says, looking down at her feet as they walk. "Nothing but some old bones."

Trip shakes his head. "Well whatever made that sound is most definitely alive." He glances over his shoulder at them. "Stay at the camp. Please."

Daisy gives him a thumbs-up, biting the inside of her cheek to keep from smiling at the sight of Jemma staring down at her feet to avoid giving herself away to Trip. Daisy really loves this girl. Even if she's going to get them both killed.

* * *

 

They start calling the creature Kong after a story Daisy remembers her mother telling her when she was a little girl. It seems fitting, even though Daisy can't remember most of the story, only the way her mother had told it, the way it had felt to lay in her small bed, tucked against her mother's side, listening to her words. She sits tucked against Jemma's side now, though it's been days since they've slept in a real bed and they aren't telling fantastical stories anymore; they're living them instead.

They leave camp earlier now, when the darkness is only barely tempered with the grey streaks of morning. But they don't want to risk another run-in with Trip, another camp-wide hunt for them; they don't want to risk someone finding out what they're up to, where they're going. Daisy is pretty sure that May knows, or, at least, that she knows they're sneaking off; she figures their subtlety is no match for someone who is practically a badass ninja for a living. But she pretends not to notice or, at least, she doesn't say anything to Coulson so that's a plus.

It takes three days -three early mornings- for things to become somewhat of a routine. The first time, the creature showed up after Daisy and Jemma were already in the ravine, thundering down upon them in a way that made Daisy question everything that had happened the day before, certain that there was actually no bond between the ape and Jemma at all and that they were both about to be the latest causalities of this damn island. But then the creature had calmed down, had seemed to recognize them, had let Jemma reach out and press her hand to his shaggy forearm once more. That's when the old story had come to Daisy, when the name had slipped from her lips and seemed to stick instantaneously.

On the second day, it doesn't take Kong more than a minute or two to show up after Daisy and Jemma arrive in the ravine. He seems to grow to like the clicking of the camera, looking at Daisy almost as though he expects her to take his picture. "He's smart," Jemma remarks after Daisy takes Kong's picture and he hoots excitedly, tapping against his chest without the ferocity he'd displayed before. It's strange how quickly Daisy stops being afraid of him…which is probably stupid and going to get them killed but they've already come this far so what's the harm?

The third day, Kong is already waiting there for them. He's brought along a few pieces of colorful fruit, much larger than anything Daisy has ever seen before. He holds up one of the pieces, staring at Daisy until she takes his picture and when she does, he hoots cheerfully and Jemma laughs and Daisy really can't believe that this has become her life. She's hanging out on some ancient island, a land that time forgot, with her girlfriend and a giant ape who's bringing them presents. But hey, she's flexible. She can roll with it.

Kong growls and snorts in protest when they leave but he doesn't try to follow them out of the basin. Instead he just snarls and hoots before eventually giving up and scaling the wall, disappearing into the jungles and hills beyond. He seems reluctant to get close to the camp; Daisy figures that he's got at least that much good sense.

On the fourth day, Daisy and Jemma return to camp as everyone starts to stir and they're able to slip in seamlessly, as though they've been there the whole time. Later, Jemma slips off by herself to study the notes she's already written about Kong and to jot down more thoughts and observations, keeping her findings to herself. Daisy notices Radcliffe watching her curiously but he doesn't say anything to her, not after Jemma catches him trying to read over her shoulder and starts talking his ear off about Podocarpus and the other prehistoric plants she's noticed on the island.

And on the fifth day, Fitz and Mack are able to rig the equipment to send a signal back to the mainland and the SHIELD headquarters.

It's the first thing Daisy and Jemma learn when they come out of their tent after their mid-morning nap. No one seems to find it strange that they lay back down to rest after only having been awake for a few hours and it's easy enough to blame it on the heat and the boredom of being stuck to the base, a punishment that's easier to bear given the fact that they spent their mornings with a giant, possibly prehistoric ape.

"We've told them about what happened when we got close to the island," Fitz explains, patting the jerry-rigged radio proudly. "They're going to come by ship, using the freighter's coordinates as a guide. They'll send dinghies to the shore to get us."

They have coordinates and a plan and everyone is in high spirits by the time the sun sets and the island is covered in darkness once more.

When Daisy kisses Jemma she can still taste the sticky sweetness of the fruit they'd eaten that morning and she threads their fingers together. "It's kinda weird, huh?" She asks quietly into the darkness of their tiny tent. "Thinking about leaving. I mean not that I wanted to stay here forever or anything but still."

"I know what you mean," Jemma says. "Though I never thought I'd hear you admit that you were going to miss Kong," she teases.

Daisy rolls her eyes even though Jemma can't see her. "Did I say that? No," she scoffs. "I just said it was weird."

It's not like she's grown attached to the giant beast or anything…she just likes him a little better now that he's not trying to kill her. But maybe it's for the best anyway that they're leaving; she's out of film and she's worried that Kong is going to catch on.

In the morning, they get up with everyone else, not wanting to chance sneaking away from camp. Jemma has a guilt-stricken look on her face, one that doesn't completely disappear even with reassuring smiles from Daisy. Hopefully Kong won't notice the deviation in the routine or if he does he'll move on quickly; it probably won't take him long before he forgets they were even there at all.

They leave most of the equipment behind. "Now no one else can say that they were the first people here," Coulson remarks as they leave the camp with only what's absolutely necessary. "We were able to leave our mark after all."

Of course, not in the way that any of them intended. Radcliffe looks sour, muttering to himself and glaring as they set off into the jungle. Jemma has more stuffed into her pack then she arrived with and Daisy has a whole roll of film of pictures of a giant ape so maybe they didn't do too badly for themselves after all. Not that she wants to share any of that information until they're safely off the island and the glares from Coulson and Trip won't be quite as intimidating.

They move through the jungle mostly in silence, the heat and oppressive silence making talking seem too difficult. They cross a shallow part of the river, moving into a part of the island that none of them have been to yet. Jemma looks at their surroundings almost longingly, like she just wants to get her hands on all the new plants and insects that there are to discover. But they don't have time to stop or slow their pace so it becomes just another wasted opportunity.

Daisy tries not to pay Radcliffe too much attention when he falls into step beside her. "You aren't taking any pictures?"

"I'm out of film," she says before really considering her answer.

Radcliffe lifts his eyebrows. "Oh?" He makes a thoughtful sound, scratching at the stubble on his chin. "I guess I just didn't notice you taking any pictures around camp."

Daisy hasn't really paid him much attention before. He only hangs around Aida and the other guy he brought along, Anton Ivanov, cooking up some scheme or another that Daisy honestly doesn't want to be a part of. She hadn't realized that he was paying more attention to the rest of them then he let on.

Eventually the terrain changes. They leave the jungle behind, walking through more scrubland similar to the place they'd made their camp for the past several days. The plants here are stout and rubbery and even though the air in the jungle was thick and humid thanks to the canopy overhead, at least the trees blocked out the sun overhead. Daisy is pretty sure she can feel the sunburn starting to spread across her cheeks and the back of her neck and there's nothing she can do about it.

It doesn't take long before the first skeleton comes into view. It's different than the one that she and Jemma saw before; this one is just as massive but it looks strangely more recognizable. There are horns protruding from a thick, flat skull and there's no sharp fangs or claws lying around. Daisy points at it. "Dinosaur," she proclaims. "Definitely a dinosaur."

She really wishes that she hadn't wasted all her film trying to keep Kong happy. Then again…it probably wasn't a terrible idea…

"This does match my theory," Jemma remarks, studying the skeleton closely. "There's something prehistoric about this place."

Trip and Bobbi practically have to drag her away, reminding her about the important things in life like rendezvous points and showers.

"What I wouldn't give to see something like that," Radcliffe says, almost sadly. "Alive…of course."

He glances back at the skeleton, a wistful expression on his face. Daisy is certain that if Radcliffe got his way then the creature he ran into wouldn't be alive for long.

The next body they see hasn't been dead nearly as long as the first. Daisy grimaces, covering her nose against the smell of the rotting body in the hot sun. There's no mistaking the dinosaur-like quality of this creature; it still has most of the leathery skin, at least on its face and front legs. One of the horns has been broken off and the stomach…well…Daisy has to turn her face away, focusing on breathing through her mouth.

The sight of the corpse seems to worry Trip; he lifts his gun, glancing around. "This hasn't been dead for long." He looks toward May, who nods her agreement. "Where's the thing that killed it?"

It's almost like he jinxes them.

Things have been quiet so far, unusually so but still…quiet. But now they can hear the sound of something moving, the sound of claws and body pulling itself across the dry ground, skittering by just out of sight. There's a hiss, like air escaping a flat tire, only even more foreboding.

Guns are drawn. Even Mack reaches for the hatchet hanging from his waist. Daisy really wishes that she had something more useful than a camera. Jemma steps closer to her, glancing around, looking for the source of the sound.

There isn't anywhere to hide, not out here. Not for them and not for the creature that suddenly comes streaking across the dirt, moving toward them with a single-minded focus. It has two front legs and a long, whip-thin body dragging behind it; the creature's face is thin and skeletal, the eyes more like sockets, the teeth sharp and gleaming. And there's more than one of them.

Everything seems to descend into chaos after that. There's shouting and screaming, there's the crack of guns being fired and the smell of dirt and metal and iron filling the air. The creatures are quick, tunneling down below them just in time to avoid a shot, only to burst up out of the earth again a few feet away, screeching and reaching with claws and teeth.

Daisy can't see anything through the dust and the dirt, can't hear anything over the screaming and snarling and the pounding of her heart. She can't see Jemma, can't see anyone but Radcliffe and Ivanov. Ivanov, who is currently assembling a very large gun, methodically slipping the pieces into place, seemingly unbothered by the chaos around him and the fact that Radcliffe looks like he's seconds away from hiding behind the man.

There's a scream and Daisy recognizes the sound immediately. She can't see her but there's no denying that it was Jemma. The sound chills Daisy to the bone and she just wants to see Jemma, wants to find her, wants to make sure that she's safe and whole, wants her back in her arms.

The sound that follows is one that Daisy recognizes just as easily. It's a roar and echoes around them, shaking the ground. The sound sends two of the pale lizard creatures scattering and this time when they disappear beneath the earth they don't pop back up again.

Kong is there suddenly, snarling, reaching for the creature that has its claws buried in Jemma's backpack. He rips the mutant lizard free, slamming the body into the ground. Jemma scrambles to her feet, moving toward Kong almost blindly and Daisy can see blood smeared across the side of her face, her shirt torn from the creature's claws.

The rest of the lizard creatures are beating a hasty retreat but Kong manages to grab another one before it can burrow into the ground and he slings it off into the distance, beating a massive fist against his chest.

May seems to overcome her surprise, lifting her gun and pointing it toward Kong, though her finger hesitates on the trigger. "Don't!" Daisy shouts, hurrying toward her. "Don't shoot him!"

Jemma is holding up a hand, trying to dissuade Piper from taking a shot, like she could possibly do something to stop a bullet. But Piper hesitates, uncertain, glancing from Kong to Trip and then back again.

"He's not dangerous," Jemma says, which seems like a leap of faith but one that Daisy is willing to make, especially considering the fact that Kong showed up at the perfect moment and saved them all from being dinner for a group of ugly lizards. "Don't shoot."

Trip is lowering his gun when a shot rings out and Kong snarls, turning in the direction of the assault, reaching up for his shoulder. There's another shot, another annoyed grunt and Kong's furry brow knits together in confusion.

It's Ivanov. His large gun is pressed against his shoulder, his eye pressed to the scope, finger curling around the trigger.

"Don't!" Not that anyone pays Daisy any attention. Kong stumbles backward, standing on his back legs, lifting his arms. But his movements are slow and sluggish and now Daisy can see that colorful tips of the darts sticking from his chest and shoulder but she hardly feels relieved to see that Ivanov isn't firing bullets.

Somehow it's just as bad.

Coulson is ordering Ivanov to lower his weapon and Jemma and Fitz are both adding their protests to Daisy's but none of it seems to matter. Ivanov fires off two more shots and then Kong is wavering, trying to stumble away but he manages to only take a few steps before his legs go out from under him and he crumples to the ground, the earth shaking beneath him.

"What is wrong with you!" Daisy shouts, rushing over toward Radcliffe, barely managing to resist the urge to slap him across the face. She thinks there's a part of him that would enjoy that or at least feel vindicated by her reaction.

Radcliffe looks surprised by the outburst. "What? I got the idea from you actually," he tells her with a smile. "Why kill something when you can catch it?"

"I thought I was clear when I said that the situation had changed," Coulson snaps, glaring at Radcliffe. "This stopped being a hunting trip a long time ago."

"Opportunity," Radcliffe says, clapping Ivanov on the shoulder. "It's all about opportunity."

Daisy joins Jemma near Kong. Jemma reaches out, pressing her hand to the side of Kong's face. He watches her with one large, glassy eye but doesn't seem capable of doing much more than that.

The sight of him ties Daisy's stomach into knots and she looks over at Jemma. Not that the sight of her makes her feel much better. "You're bleeding."

"I'm fine," Jemma says absently, looking toward Radcliffe. "He was helping us. He came to help us."

Radcliffe shrugs. "And he did," he points out. "Now everyone is happy." He turns toward Ivanov, satisfied that the discussion is over. "I think we're going to need more than dinghies to get us back to the ship." Ivanov grins.

Despite protests from most of the group, Radcliffe refuses to be swayed and Coulson seems willing to let the man have final say on the subject. Daisy can't help but wonder what Radcliffe's money actually bought and how much of this expedition was really about him living out some sort of twisted alpha male fantasy.

"Let's just get to the shore," Coulson says wearily. "We'll deal with the rest of it later."

Ivanov stays by Kong, gun loaded and slung across his shoulder. Daisy is sure that Radcliffe will be able to find someone, probably multiple someones, on the ship willing to help him transport Kong to the beach; clearly his money talks quite loudly.

"I can't believe this," Jemma says quietly as they walk. The beach is in view but it doesn't make Daisy feel much better. "This is barbaric."

Daisy scowls. "A cage. That's what Radcliffe wants: to stick him in a cage and make money off of him."

Jemma doesn't say anything; she just closes her eyes, leaning her head against Daisy's shoulder.

At least the dinghies are only a few yards from the shore. The sooner they get off this island the better.

Daisy slips her arm around Jemma's waist, pulling her closer. It isn't much but Daisy feels better having Jemma in her arms, a reminder that she's real and solid and they're both still alive and whole and together. For now, it'll have to be enough.


End file.
